More and more people are rethinking the traditional American dream. With housing costs skyrocketing and adults working longer hours, a growing number of Americans are asking themselves: What’s the point?
That was certainly true for Caleb and Emily, who go by wanderin.wildflowers on social media. They had a beautiful house in the suburbs, right on the cul-de-sac of their dreams. But something still didn’t feel right.
Recently, they decided to give it all up to see what would happen.
Family of five renovates an old school bus and joins the ‘skoolie’ community
Caleb had a good job in construction, and Emily was working as a therapist. But they were working nights and weekends to afford their suburban dream house, and they were barely getting any quality time with their three daughters.
That’s when they decided to blow everything up.
The couple brought the idea of becoming a “skoolie” family to their kids. Skoolies are a unique way to combine living and travel that has been all the rage since gaining mainstream attention around 2016. It involves converting a retired school bus into a complete living space and traveling in it full-time.
Caleb and Emily were able to purchase a 40-foot, roughly 300-square-foot 2006 Thomas school bus. With a little investment, they transformed it into RV-like living quarters complete with bunk beds for their girls and a kitchen.
The family was recently featured on the hit YouTube channel Tiny House Giant Journey, where they gave a detailed tour of their skoolie.
The ‘skoolie’ trend took off about 10 years ago and is still going strong
Why school buses? Why not just buy an RV that’s already outfitted with all the fixings?
For starters, retired buses are readily available. They’re also relatively inexpensive, even though the trend has driven up auction prices a bit.
The cost to renovate a school bus and make it livable is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s still often far cheaper than buying an RV and certainly cheaper than a mortgage. Plus, skoolies have tons of room. School buses are enormous. A lifestyle like “van life” is more affordable and flexible, but the cramped quarters just aren’t feasible for a family of five.
School buses are also ridiculously durable. Their steel frames and powerful diesel engines can last for more than 250,000 miles. Plus, they’re safe in a crash. It’s no wonder the family’s 2006 Thomas school bus is still chugging along.
There are downsides, of course. Beyond the expensive renovation, school buses gobble up diesel fuel and are too big to park in many areas. But for a family looking to hit the road together, they’re a terrific, creative option.
They also come with a built-in online community. Skoolies are a hit on social media, with families and travelers constantly sharing their build-outs and adventures. It’s easy to make friends and connections as you travel through different parts of the country.
The togetherness is the point
The family hit the road in August 2025 and won’t be turning back anytime soon.
They homeschool the kids and work remotely, so their primary focus is seeing the country and having adventures. They recently visited Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Antelope Island in Utah, and Swan Valley Park in Idaho.
But it’s really the slowing down together that they cherish most. It’s the time spent with each other that counts.
“I was working 60, 70 hours a week,” Caleb told Tiny House Giant Journey. “So I really had no time with the kids up until we started this. Now that my kids have gotten older, and I’ve spent so much time with them every single day, I’ve really gotten to know what makes them mad, what makes them happy, what they need without asking. It’s been amazing for me just to catch up on lost time with the girls.”
This kind of close-quarters, nomadic living won’t be for everyone.
Not every adult can work remotely with enough flexibility to make the lifestyle worth it. Not every family can or wants to homeschool their kids. And there are costs, too, especially for kids who aren’t growing up with the usual routines and day-to-day socialization with other children their age.
But the skoolie trend for families like wanderin.wildflowers points to a system that’s no longer working for a lot of families. All the time and money spent carving out the perfect suburban life leaves precious little time to actually enjoy your kids and family. Skoolie families are opting out and choosing their own path.
